Peralada 1883 - 1969 Roses

Musician, composer and doublebass performer

PALACE OF PERALADA

The School of Music (1882 to 1914)

Around 1875, Antonio Rocabertí-Boixadors Dameto and Veri, Earl of Savallà, usually resident in Paris, and with his brother Thomas, Earl of Peralada, decided to return to the lands of "Empordà" sort their possessions.

Antonio was lawyer and man of letters known admirer of Verdaguer, apparently was the founder of a School of Materials Letters Free (known as the School of Palaci), in which basic education was combined with arts and crafts , visual arts, theater, music, gymnastics and gardening.

There, he founded a theater, a choir and the Palau de Peralada Library with 13,000 volumes. The direction of the music school was entrusted to Jaume Cervera in 1882, primarily intended for children of employees of the castle, and soon after extended free of charge to all other peoples children Peralada and the environment.

Jaume Cervera dedicated his life to music school for 32 years. In this school celebrated musicians where formed as

Josep Serra Bonal,

his brother Miquel,

Josep FerrerTorres, father of the composer Rafael Ferrer Fito,

"tenoras" like Mariano Calvet nad

Josep Lleonsí Casanovas

In 1890 Miquel Serra met several of the disciples of the School and founded the (Cobla) orchestra "La Principal de Peralada" with the following training: Marti Mont (flute), Jaume and Josep Serra Llongueras (tibles), Maria Calvet and Anton Mont (tenora) Joan Mont B. and Miquel Albreda (trumpet), Joan Mont P. and Joaquim and Grosset (fiscorns) and Miquel Serra (doublabass). This "cobla" would become one of the best in the country.

Count Savallà died in 1887 and later his brother and sister. The school soon decline until the definitely to closure in July 1914 when Jaume Cervera left the post of director after 32 years in office. Shortly before, Jaume Cervera had moved to Roses, because he was not earning the salary stipulated in charge of school and pursue a store that his father had bought in 1856.